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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. dip — to sink
  3. craft — boats
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bank — for money
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. degree — from a university
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bank — of a river
  16. craft — a skill
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. shower — to wash
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bank — for money
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com